Olympic Freeskier, Gus Kenworthy, Comes Out as Gay

Gus Kenworthy, took a bold move in the testosterone-driven sport of Freesking and came out as gay.

After years of anxiety about his sexual orientation he finally feels ready to announce his truth. Two years have passed since he started coming out to his family and close friends. His mother said she always knew and when his close friends found out they were nothing but supportive.

Kenworthy recalls of competitive skiing to ESPN: “They say it’s a community of individuals and everyone is doing their own thing and it’s not a team sport, so you get to be yourself, but you don’t really. Between the contests and the shoots, everyone’s always skiing and training together. But it is the same, it’s totally like that” Be creative, be yourself, be all this stuff, but also literally just be like everybody else.”

Kenworthy knew he wasn’t like all the other boys since the early age of five. Growing up with two older, highly competitive, brothers made his secret that much harder to bear. When competitions were up the cameras would pan to their family and lovers. The cameramen would always ask, “You’re girlfriend is here?” Kenworthy would immediately go into a state of anxiety that would ultimately ruin his performance because time and time again he’d respond with, “No. No girlfriend.”

After his success at the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and his historic halfpipe stint at the Park City event earlier this year he finally felt ready to admit to the world that all he really wants is for his boyfriend to be at the bottom of the slope, on the big screen, cheering him on.